FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[Robert12010]

For me - I think my interest started when Mark Webber thought it would be a fun idea to drive his BMW Williams across the Sydney harbour bridge as a promotional event. But I was exactly hooked.

I also remember seeing something in the news about Schumacher versing a Eurofighter Jet - and that was AWESOME!

I grew up in a poor family, and one day a friend gave us his old Play Station 1. It was the coolest thing ever. The year was 2005 - so we were a bit behind the times but that's ok... My uncle gave us some of his old games, and one of them was a Formula One game based on the 1995 season. My favourite tracks were Spa, Aida, and Buenos Aires.

I'm sure I tried watching the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix - but I think I fell asleep. It was when I first had a TV in my room. I also watched my first soccer games on TV then as well.

For the 2007 season - I needed someone to support. Before the Melbourne GP they were talking about this new guy called Hamilton so I thought "New Fan for a New Driver. That works! " But I could only watch the Monaco Grand Prix that year.

For the 2008 season, I once again missed all the Asian races because they were held in the middle of the day. So my first race again was the Monaco GP. And I saw Hamilton get a puncture but still win a race, and I remember Vettel schocking the commentators because he started on the back row and finished 5th. So those became my two favourite drivers and I watched nearly every race since. I'd still find it hard to watch the Asian races though...

i can understand that, most arent the best, but chinese gp was good this year

[BritishBear]

I watched some compliation videos of racing crashes over and over again, and then by chance saw an F1 race and immediately liked it (this would be around 1991 I think). Started watching more regularly the races that were on at sensible times of day (I was still a school whelp), and my love of the sport grew until Schumachers dominace, got bored of the sport in that time, and life changes meant I couldn't watch much F1, got back into it at the end of MS' reign, and watched it pretty much since the 2006 season, got my wife into F1 too a little, and for the last year I've been building my own database on F1.

[hounddub]

Since my school years were the 80's ..... I was hooked in the greatest era....... Prost, Senna, Alboreto, Stefan Bellof, de Angelis, Keke Rosberg, Jaques Laffeite, Berger.....Tabacco sponsorship,Turbos, pre-qualifying, Ken Tyrrell, Lotus, Ligier and Benetton.....just to name a few of the things we have lost.

Loved it ever since!

[The Ram]

Since Gran Turismo 3 came out. Well my interest in cars in general...

It Spiked in 2007 though.. I have never seen such awesomeness in the year of F1 up to that point.

[SennaVille]

I can not believe a school could afford Carbon Fibre... My school would of ummed and arred about using a polly bag

You had polly bags at your school???

Wow! dj, that really is very cool. Nice

My interest in F1 started when my mom met my dad (technically my step-dad, but my dad in every other shape and form). I was six at the time and remember faking sleep-walking to watch some GP or other. I think that's when he realised he had a protege on his hands, and he took me to my first GP. Thanks, Dad!

[What's Burning?]

I was six at the time and remember faking sleep-walking to watch some GP or other.

and that's the only thing you've faked since, yes?

[darwin dali]

I was six at the time and remember faking sleep-walking to watch some GP or other.

and that's the only thing you've faked since, yes?

Nau, nau, nau naughty

[SennaVille]

I was six at the time and remember faking sleep-walking to watch some GP or other.

and that's the only thing you've faked since, yes?

No, a few years later I had my fake horsey named georgy

[Hammer278]

I had greater respect for the cars before the drivers, when I saw Michael and Mika duking it out in Monza I believe in 1997 or 1998. These two were going at it hammer and tongs and my dad had been following the sport a few weeks ahead of me. I couldn't believe how those cars were being hammered over the kerbs, and their sheer speed through corners. I asked him who those two drivers were (after watching 10-15 laps or so) and he says Michael in the red, and Mika in the silver car.

And then I spot another silver car ahead of these two amazing drivers, and go "Who's THAT!?" And he goes "David Coulthard". I wanted to see if he could win the race ahead of the two charging drivers and he did...and my fanship was born. Hardly missed a race since.

I sound like a glory hunter, but I did support DC through everything (it was difficult being his fan!) right up till his retirement from Redbull. Gave me some great memories though, France 2000 being the pinnacle. I couldn't sleep after the race.

[LewEngBridewell]

Well, I was mucking around amongst the yellowed, dusty archives and came across this little gem. Worth a dust off I think!

When did my interest in F1 start?

Well, I was born into a family that didn't follow a great deal of sport properly. My parents did not follow F1, so it was a process of self discovery. As a child, I was always fascinated by drawings and photos of F1 cars. I remember an old school friend of mine bringing in a huge poster of Eddie Irvine in his Ferrari. I was about 9 years old at the time, and I couldn't help but stare at the picture. I loved what I saw, but didn't know ANYTHING about it. I longed to know more and I watched the next Grand Prix with my brother. I can't remember which race it was but it involved a close battle between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen, and Ralf Schumacher was in a red Williams, so it must have been 1998/99. However, I watched no more for a while after that.

Then, in 2003, Kellogg's released an F1 game which could be installed gradually when you bought their cereal. My goodness, what a game. It was free, but it was bloody brilliant. Detail was fantastic for the time. The circuits were very accurate, and it was based loosely on the 1997 season. This prompted me to go out and buy my first F1 book... an ITV review of the 2002 season. My interest in the sport dawned, and I began to learn. I read the book many times over.

I then filled myself in and watched the ITV review of 2003 and started following the sport in earnest from 2004. I haven't missed a race since.

[andrew]

...it was a process of self discovery.

Get in there DD!

Anyway, my excuse for watching F1 is that I was brought up with it in an Alain Prost household, which bacame a Schumacher household in the early 90's and is now a Vettel household - even though I don't live there anymore I've still spread the good word..

[myownalias]

I remember flicking through the channels (there were only four at the time) back in 1990 and found the highlights on BBC2 of the Adelaide (Aus) Grand Prix, I believe it was, watched most of the highlights shows in 1991 which peaked my interest a little more, and 1992 I started watching most of the races live, at least the European time zone races and seeing Nigel Mansell and the FW14B wipe the floor with everyone else made me an addict, I can't say I have never looked back as during the Schumacher dominance, my fanaticism did waiver somewhat!

[Jabberwocky]

I used to race RC cars when I was 6-7 and went to the UK championships (I did OK but not great) When some random bloke turned up who everyone was falling themselves to talk to, the bloke was Kenny Acheson. Until that point I had never heard of F1, so then nagged my Dad to let me watch it on TV the next time it was on.... and that as they say is that

[scotty]

I used to watch it with my Dad from when i was REALLY young, you're probably talking late 80's here (and i'm 25). Apparently i was up with my Dad 'watching' Adelaide '86. Honest to god one my of earliest memories is of these two red and white F1 cars on the telly. Dunno if that's sad or not.

[bud]

Guess I was brainwashed into F1 by my parents, i was taken to the Aus GP at the age of 5. It's my cult.